US8112140B2ActiveUtilityA1

Device for detecting and transmitting electrical pulses

62
Assignee: GRABETAL THOMASPriority: Oct 5, 2007Filed: Aug 8, 2008Granted: Feb 7, 2012
Est. expiryOct 5, 2027(~1.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Thomas Graßl
A61B 5/0536A61B 2562/222A61B 5/282A61B 5/303A61B 5/291
62
PatentIndex Score
9
Cited by
8
References
33
Claims

Abstract

A device for detecting and transmitting electrical pulses from the body surface of a patient to device processing the electrical pulses. The device for detecting includes at least two electrical leads of different lengths, at least one electrical insulating material surrounding the at least two electrical leads, a connecting port for connection to the device for processing the electrical pulses at one end of the at least two electrical leads and a recess in the electrical insulating material of the at least two electrical leads, so that an electric contact can be established with the skin surface of the patient. The two leads of different lengths have a ratio of the electrical resistance to the length of the leads and/or the ratio of the impedance to the length of the leads that is/are greater in the shorter lead than in the longer lead. With the construction artifacts caused by external sources of interference are easily filtered out and it can be manufactured at a low cost, so as to be employed for disposable use.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1. A device for detecting and transmitting electrical pulses from the body skin surface of a patient to an electrical pulse processor, the device comprising:
 two electrical leads of different lengths, each of said electrical leads having a total electrical resistance and impedance wherein one of a ratio of electrical resistance to the length of said leads and a ratio of the impedance to the length of said leads in said two electrical leads of different lengths is greater in at least a shorter of said two electrical leads than in a longer of said two electrical leads configured to cause said one of said total resistance and impedance of each of said leads to be closer to each other; 
 a connecting port for connecting the device to the electrical pulse processor; 
 at least one electrical insulating material surrounding said two electrical leads; and 
 a recess in said electrical insulating material for electrical contact to be established with the skin surface of the patient. 
 
     
     
       2. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said two electrical leads of different lengths have essentially equal values of one of said total electrical resistance and impedance. 
     
     
       3. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said one of said total electrical resistance and impedance of said two electrical leads of different lengths differs by less than 10%. 
     
     
       4. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said one of said total electrical resistance and impedance of said two electrical leads of different lengths differs by less than 5%. 
     
     
       5. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area in a shorter of said two electrical leads is smaller than a cross-sectional area in a longer of said two electrical leads. 
     
     
       6. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein one of a width and a thickness in said shorter of said two electrical leads are smaller than in said longer of said two electrical leads. 
     
     
       7. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said two electrical leads consist of a metal or an alloy of metals aluminum, copper, gold, silver or tin. 
     
     
       8. A device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein said two electrical leads are manufactured from a metal foil or a metal plate. 
     
     
       9. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said two electrical leads comprise metal paste printed or screen printed. 
     
     
       10. A device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein said two electrical leads are formed from a plurality of layers configured to be repeatedly printed or screen printed to obtain different cross-sectional areas. 
     
     
       11. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said two electrical leads consist of conductive plastic, graphite, carbon fibers or metallized polyamide. 
     
     
       12. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the distance between said two electrical leads varies with at least one of:
 at least one said two electrical leads being arranged at a greater distance from another of said two electrical leads; 
 said at least one said two electrical leads being bent relative to said another of said two electrical leads; and 
 at least one said two electrical leads having a serpentine shape. 
 
     
     
       13. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a capacitor in an area of said connecting port such that said one lead is correspondingly tuned. 
     
     
       14. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a coil and a remainder; 
 an electrical contact connects said coil to said remainder in an area of said connecting port. 
 
     
     
       15. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a capacitor in an area of said connecting port such that said one lead is correspondingly tuned; 
 at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a coil and a remainder; 
 an electrical contact connects said coil to said remainder in an area of said connecting port; and 
 said capacitor and said coil are connected to form a low-pass filter with a limit frequency of 25 kHz. 
 
     
     
       16. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a capacitor in an area of said connecting port such that said one lead is correspondingly tuned; 
 at least one of said two electrical leads comprises a coil and a remainder; 
 an electrical contact connects said coil to said remainder in an area of said connecting port; and 
 said capacitor and said coil are connected to form an antenna of an RFID transponder. 
 
     
     
       17. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said connecting port comprises a transmitter for the wireless transmission of electrical pulses, said connecting port having a RFID transponder. 
     
     
       18. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising an electrode, wherein said electrical insulating material recess is provided for directly or indirectly establishing electrical contact with the skin surface of the patient with one of said two electrical leads, said electrode configured to attach detachably or nondetachably to said at least one of said two electrical leads. 
     
     
       19. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said insulating material consists of plastic and/or a foamed and/or textile material including one or more of polyester, Polyethylene (PE) foam or a synthetic faux fur. 
     
     
       20. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the electrical insulating material surrounding said two electrical leads comprises a multilayer flat band with said two electrical leads in the form of strip conductors and including at least one first and second non-conductive layer configured as electrical insulating material for said strip conductors, wherein said strip conductors are provided between said first and second non-conductive layers and are positioned next to each other, and wherein said first and second non-conductive layers are connected to one another such that said strip conductors are arranged insulated next to each other and said recess is provided in said band and/or in the at least one said first and second non-conductive layers in an area of said strip conductors whereby electrical contact can be established with the skin surface of the patient. 
     
     
       21. A device in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein a third and/or fourth conductive layers are provided, wherein said third and/or fourth conductive layers surround said first and second non-conductive layers. 
     
     
       22. A device in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein at least one perforation of elongated holes is provided between said insulated strip conductors. 
     
     
       23. A device in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein said band has a plurality of folds, said folds being directed at an angle of 60° to 120° in relation to said strip conductors. 
     
     
       24. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 said first and second leads are receivable of artifacts induced by external sources of interference; 
 said one of said total resistance and said impedance of said first and second leads are chosen to have the induced artifacts to be approximately the same. 
 
     
     
       25. A device in accordance with  claim 24 , wherein:
 the electrical signal processor includes a filter for filtering out equal artifacts in said leads. 
 
     
     
       26. A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 said first and second leads are formed of an electrically conductive material which causes a resistance of the leads to change as a function of said length of a respective said lead; 
 parameters of said first and second leads are different in said first and second leads in order to compensate for said resistance changes caused by different said lengths of said first and second leads. 
 
     
     
       27. A method for detecting and transmitting electrical pulses from the body skin surface, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing two electrical leads of different lengths, whereby one of a ratio of electrical resistance to the length of said leads and a ratio of the impedance to the length of said leads in said two electrical leads of different lengths is greater in at least a shorter of said two electrical leads than in a longer of said two electrical leads to cause one of a total resistance and impedance of each of said leads to be closer to each other; 
 providing a connecting port for connecting a device to an electrical pulse processor; 
 surrounding said two electrical leads with electrical insulating material; 
 providing a recess in said electrical insulating material and establishing electrical contact with the skin surface of the patient; 
 transmitting electrical pulses from the body surface of a patient to an electrocardiograph for recording an electrocardiogram, an electroencephalogram, an electric impedance tomography device or an anesthesia monitoring means for determining a bispectral index. 
 
     
     
       28. A method in accordance with  claim 27 , wherein:
 said first and second leads are receivable of artifacts induced by external sources of interference; 
 said one of said total resistance and impedance of said first and second leads are provided to have the induced artifacts in said first and second leads to be more similar. 
 
     
     
       29. A device for transferring electrical signals from a body of a patient to an electrical signal processor, the device comprising:
 a connecting port adapted to connect to the electric signal processor; 
 a first electrical lead having one end connected to said connecting port, said first electrical lead having a first length, said first electrical lead being capable of receiving artifacts induced by external sources of interference, said first electrical lead having a feature which affects one of the total electrical resistance and impedance of said first lead; 
 a second electrical lead having one end connected to said connecting port, said second electrical lead having a second length different from said first length, said second electrical lead being capable of receiving artifacts induced by external sources of interference, said second electrical lead having a feature which affects one of the total electrical resistance and impedance of said second lead, said feature of said second lead being different from said feature of said first lead to have the induced artifacts in said first and second leads to be more similar said first length is longer than said second length; said feature of said first lead causes a lower ratio of electrical resistance or impedance to length than said second feature; 
 electrical insulating material surrounding said first and second electrical leads, said electrical insulating material defining a recess for establishing electrical contact with the body of the patient. 
 
     
     
       30. A device in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein:
 the induced artifacts depend on said one of the resistance and impedance of said leads; 
 said feature of said second lead is different from said feature of said first lead to cause said one of a total resistance and impedance of said second lead to be closer to one of a total resistance and impedance of said first lead than if said features were the same. 
 
     
     
       31. A device in accordance with  claim 29 , wherein:
 each of said features is one of a cross sectional area, a type of said conductive material, and a shape of said conductive material. 
 
     
     
       32. A device in accordance with  claim 30 , wherein:
 one of said electrical resistance and said electrical impedance of said first and second electrical leads are substantially equal. 
 
     
     
       33. A device in accordance with  claim 30 , wherein:
 a difference between one of said electrical resistance and said electrical impedance in said first and second electrical leads is within 10%.

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